Townshend held after child porn search at home

Pete Townshend, guitarist with the Who, was arrested last night by police officers investigating subscribers to an American website showing child abuse.

Townshend, 57, has admitted paying to view the site but claims he was carrying out anti-paedophile research. He was detained by detectives after he invited them to search his home in Richmond, south-west London.

The father of three was taken to Twickenham station for questioning. He was arrested on suspicion of possessing, making and inciting the distribution of indecent images of children. The arrest followed a search of his home and a business premises.

He was bailed by police following an hour and 20 minutes of questioning, said John Cohen, his solicitor.

"He has not been charged with anything and has been bailed to a future date when he may be required to answer some questions," said Mr Cohen. "He is going home to get some rest. He is tired but all right."

Townshend was spotted leaving the station lying down in the back of a Mercedes, partially covered by what appeared to be a bag or a coat.

Townshend is the creative force behind one of Britain's leading rock bands. He has become the most high profile suspect to be held in Operation Ore, the investigation into 6,500 subscribers to the site which contains appalling images of child abuse.

The musician was arrested several hours after up to a dozen Metropolitan Police officers arrived at his home.

Mr Cohen said of the search: "It's by mutual agreement. We approached the police this morning and said that we should meet."

Shortly before 3pm, three men and one woman marched to the front door. One tapped on the door and spoke through the intercom before entering. More officers arrived, one carrying a blue plastic crate containing packaging to store potential exhibits.

The rock star had made it clear in an interview with the Sun that he was so confident of his innocence that he was keen for police to go to his home and check his computer for child pornography. Townshend had arrived at the house about 20 minutes before the search.

Scotland Yard said last night that they had arrested a 57-year-old man at a residential address in Richmond, Surrey.

"Two search warrants were executed at separate addresses in Richmond, one a business address and one a residential address," Scotland Yard said. "A number of items, including computers, have been removed from the residential address for forensic examination."

More than 1,300 men have been arrested as part of Operation Ore after US investigators passed on details of about 6,500 apparent subscribers.

Those arrested are said to include teachers, social workers, care workers, doctors and at least 50 police officers. Two unnamed men who were Labour MPs about three years ago, when the US inquiry took place, are said to be on the list. Sources dismissed suggestions that they were ex-ministers.

A few dozen men have been charged with offences of possessing or distributing the paedophile material but most have been released on police bail while seized computers are examined.

Investigations have been launched into suspected abuse of 40 children, with charges against a number of men.

Townshend has said he was driven to view the website for research and out of anger at how easy they were to access. "I am not a paedophile," he told the Sun.